Dundee 3
Greenock Morton 1
League (Division One)

Match Report

Traditionally the last Saturday before Christmas is a day for poor crowds so it was not surprising that today brought the lowest league attendance of the season so far, a crowd of 4,259 that would delight every other club in the division. But the Dundee supporters who braved the cold and snow were cheered by the Dees' fourth league win on the trot, their fifth in all competitions since the Challenge Cup Final, and also the fifth game in succession in which Gary Harkins has scored. Some midfielder!

The chasing sides would have been hoping desperately for the Dees to slip up, but in spite of the slippery pitch the Dees handled Morton's spirited challenge well to claim a deserved victory.

Dundee switched back to 4-4-2, with Harkins back on the right of midfield. Dens Park felt strange with the South Enclosure closed, and Dundee supporters behind both goals. However, the lack of support from the side of the pitch gave the game a flat atmosphere, and seemed to affect the players for much of the first half.

Morton started the stronger side, and Weatherson forced Douglas to turn a fierce 22 yard free kick round the post Paartalu had a free header from the corner, but sent the ball straight to Douglas.

Dundee persisted in building from the back, and gradually got their passing game working. The Morton keeper Stewart saved well from Harkins after a brilliant Griffiths turn and run had opened up the away defence. Griffiths nearly got the opening goal after half an hour when his powerful header from a comer was half saved by Stewart. The ball was about to trickle over the line when it was scrambled away as far as Griffiths whose follow up was blocked. Morton couldn't clear the ball and Harkins was next to have a go, but his chipped shot drifted narrowly wide.

The fizz seemed to go out of Dundee's game after that, and the rest of the first half drifted by with little incident.

Fortunately for the fans the home side lifted themselves after the break and we saw enough goals and entertainment to help us forget the cold. The pitch was becoming increasingly slippery and the defences were starting to look more nervous and vulnerable.

Ten minutes after the restart Hart moved the ball out to the left. Forsyth had time to look up and whip a fine cross into the goalmouth where Griffiths arrived unmarked to head strongly past Stewart. Morton were shaken and struggled to cope with the Dees' passing game for the next few minutes. However, they quickly pulled themselves together and set off purposefully to grab an equaliser,

Dundee failed to clear a determined attack on the hour. Finlayson drove down the right to the byline and chipped the ball over for Weatherson to head just inside Douglas's right hand post.

The equaliser encouraged Morton but their enthusiasm was quickly crushed by a marvellous Dundee goal on the break after 65 minutes. When the ball came out of defence Griffiths released Hart with a clever header, giving the midfielder the chance to race into space down the left. Three Dees were charging at two defenders, and Hart exploited the opening superbly by powering into the penalty area and rolling the ball across for the unmarked Harkins to shoot easily past the stranded keeper.

Again Morton responded well, and Paartalu stung Douglas's fingers with a strong shot from outside the area. However, the Dundee defence weathered the fightback and the dodgy pitch and the Dee looked increasingly comfortable as time ran out. Just like last week Dundee wrapped up the win with a late goal.

Harkins' corner drifted past the far post and the Morton defence let Shimmin down by failing to shout that there was no-one behind him. The defender needlessly turned the ball out for another comer and Forsyth delivered a good cross into the six yard box for Malone to lose his marker and head firmly home.

A few minutes earlier there had been another huge cheer as Maros Klimpl was welcomed back into action after his operation, replacing Richie Hart. it was great to see the Slovakian back in action, and it is a measure of Dundee's strong squad that they could take the outstanding Hart off and replace him a player of Klimpl's quality. Hart has been in great form since he moved into central midfield and he was outstanding today. The sponsors gave their man of the match award to Gary Harkins, who certainly had a fine second half, but Hart's box to box running and good passing was vital for Dundee today, and I thought he was Dundee's best player by some distance.

No-one let Dundee down today against a team who played some good football and stretched the Dee at times. On a treacherous pitch the defenders played it sensibly, and the midfield and strikers kept working hard and playing passes to keep Morton on the back foot. Ultimately the visitors couldn't handle the pressure, and Dundee's determination to keep passing the ball around and open up the defence with good football got the reward it deserved.

Match report written by James Christie - Official Dundee website